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No Child Left Inside

William McGillis

In his bestselling book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv argues that American children suffer from "nature deficit disorder," a lack of free play, exploration, and daydreaming in the outdoors. He links this condition to a host of disquieting trends among the younger generation, including obesity, attention deficit disorder, and depression.

Louv surveys the research describing the physical and psychological benefits children receive from immersions in nature, and concludes that regular outdoor play improves children's health, intelligence, and personality development. Louv laments that busy schedules, shortshighted urban and suburban planning, and too much time spent in front of televisions, computers, and video game screens prevent children from cultivating a meaningful connection with the earth.

In addition to diagnosing the problem and its troubling symptoms, Louv offers parents, teachers, and other concerned adults myriad suggestions to help children enjoy their time outdoors and develop a dynamic relationship with the natural world. Visit his Children and Nature Network to learn more about how to leave no child inside.

 

 

6-10-08

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Picture of <em>vivifidal</em>

all very true

Submitted by vivifidal on Fri, 06/13/2008 - 19:06.
I have always enjoyed seeking out remote places since childhood, whether I found myself in an urban, suburban, rural, or cyber environment and in the course of this developed skills of observation to maintain my safety and security, yet today I see all around me many who lack an awareness of their surroundings, I'm sure that there is a link...
Picture of <em>sroback</em>

One of the first wave of victims

Submitted by sroback on Fri, 06/20/2008 - 12:11.

Seth Roback

I remember getting my first Atari 2600 and that being all that I thought of and dreamed of from ages 9 to 11 and then it was playing games on the Atari 800 computer. Now I work in IT and being in front of a 2 dimensional screen is most of what I do all day long. I feel in some way that I really deprived myself during my formative years of creating a connection to nature and to other kids. It seems hard to undo that conditioning. Maybe those game systems were preparing me for a life of technology to come. It will be interesting to see how technology takes over our lives as time goes on.